A Simple Scatterplot using SPSS

Objectives

A scatterplot can be used to detemine whether a relationship is linear, detect outliers and graphically present a relationship. Determining whether a relationship is linear is an important assumption of correlation and simple regression. The example presented here is the same as in our guide on simple regression.

Procedure

Click Graphs > Chart Builder... on the top menu as shown below:

Published with written permission from SPSS Inc, an IBM Company.
You will be presented with the following screen:

Published with written permission from SPSS Inc, an IBM Company.
Under the Gallery Tab () select the Scatter/Dot option and the simple scatterplot icon (top-left icon). Drag-and-drop this icon into the Chart Preview Area (as shown by the in the diagram below).

Published with written permission from SPSS Inc, an IBM Company.
You will be presented with the following dialog boxes: Chart Builder and Element Properties. As you can see, the Chart Preview Area has been populated with a template of a simple scatterplot.

Published with written permission from SPSS Inc, an IBM Company.
Transfer the independent (predictor) variable, Income, into the "X-Axis?" box and the dependent (outcome) variable into the "Y-Axis?" box within the Preview Chart Area by drag-and-dropping the variables from the "Variables:" box.

Published with written permission from SPSS Inc, an IBM Company.
If you wish to change the axis labels then select "X-Axis1 (Point1)" and/or "Y-Axis1 (Point1)" in the Element Properties dialog box and type in the new axis title. Below we demonstrate changing the X-Axis label from "Income" to "Total Income (US Dollars)". Remember to click the button after each label change. Repeat with the Y-Axis by changing the label from "Price" to "Car Purchase Price (US Dollars)" and, again, click the button.

Published with written permission from SPSS Inc, an IBM Company.
Click the button.